Stuff and Nonsense
by Dejana Talis
Summary: A collection of ficlets and drabbles I've written for challenge communities on LiveJournal.
1. Rain

Rain

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day One (Rain)

* * *

It was raining.

Zoisite gritted his teeth. He hated the rain. With a gesture he strengthened the shield of energy that surrounded him, but the dampness in the air weighed down his clothes and frizzled his hair. What if Kunzite saw him like this before he had a chance to clean up?

Grumbling to himself, Zoisite glided over Juuban now in a throughly sour mood. It was all so unfair. Why did Queen Beryl have to take her frustrations out on him, and order Zoisite to locate his next target personally? He could be back in the Dark Kingdom right now, using his crystals to make what should have been a simple search.

Flying in the rain was no fun at all. Zoisite didn't want to be doing this. He would have pouted, but there was no one around to take pity on him. With a sullen scowl, he glided toward the ground and hovered beneath the overhang of a building. He would never lower himself to stand upon this filthy little planet, but at least here he could drop his energy shield without being rained on.

Disgusting rain. A man like Zoisite should be flying through clear skies, where the sunlight could make him sparkle, not slogging through the gloom of a storm! He couldn't go back to the Dark Kingdom without completing his mission, but he wasn't about to waste all his energy on an intangible umbrella when there was a chance the rain might let up soon.

The general drew back into the shadows as a young man in a raincoat walked by, a girl with curly brown hair hanging on his arm. The girl was protected from the weather by nothing but the pink umbrella she held in her free hand, but Zoisite had never seen a brighter smile. She practically skipped as her boyfriend led her down the street, there was such a bounce in her step.

The hiding general soured even further at the sight. Foolish girl. The rain would hopelessly tangle her hair. He leaned forward slightly, his hands tensing at his sides. With her energy, Zoisite could finish his mission and get out of here all the faster.

"Don't you just love the rain?" the brown-haired girl burst out, leaning on her boyfriend's shoulder. "It makes everything fresh and new again!"

...a new beginning, a fresh Eden, every time the rain falls...

Zoisite froze. So familiar... These memories... what?

The young couple walked on and passed out of the general's vision, but he was blind to them. The rain poured down around him, but he saw only sunshine, felt only a fresh breeze on his face. It was not true sunshine; it was dimmed, obscured by the clouds, and over there, a rainbow...

...and a young woman in a white dress standing beyond the boundaries of the marble pavilion, her short blue hair damp and clinging to her head, her face tilted upwards into the last few drops of rain.

...I do so love the rain...it's as if the heavens themselves were descending to embrace me...

Zoisite blinked, but the vision was still there. The woman turned, shining eyes leaving the skies to focus on him, their depths filled with tenderness and devotion and oh so much more...

She moved closer...the power in that gaze was immeasurable...

The power.

Power. Control. Deception. Betrayal. The bonds and shackles of a white orb that hung in the sky. The lies that fell from a woman's lips when she had secret selfish motives in mind.

The lies that had fallen from her lips.

The white-robed image cracked and shattered in the wake of Zoisite's defiant scream of rage and agony. She would have no more power over him! He had believed in her, when she was only manipulating him!

...who?

He pressed his hands to his head. He had sworn to forget. He had sworn never to trust like that again. He loved Kunzite.

Kunzite, Kunzite, Kunzite.

Long pale hair swept away the tuft of dampened blue. Smirking lips banished the rosy smile. Eyes with more secrets than Queen Beryl herself filled Zoisite's vision.

There was only Kunzite. No one else.

Zoisite straightened up, calmed himself. The memory - the illusion, the lie - that had attacked him so suddenly was vanquished. He had imagined that vision. There had never been any such person. He took a deep breath-

-and the dampness of the rain filled his lungs.

That scent...the freshness of a summer storm...

...like the sweet perfume of her hair.

As if in a dream, Zoisite let the shield surrounding him fade away. The rain poured down, covering him, embracing him with its cool all-encompassing weight. He stepped away from the side of the building and turned his face toward the sky, closing his eyes against the kisses from heaven. Water soaked into his clothes, and it seemed to wash away the darkness within him as well as without. For the first time in countless years, he was a part of this world.

...a new beginning, a fresh Eden, every time the rain falls...

That past was no longer part of his present. Soon he would complete his mission and return to the Dark Kingdom as if nothing had happened. But right now, just for a moment...he wanted to feel fresh and new again.

* * *

"Rain" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! . 


	2. Fear

Fear

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day Two (Fear)

* * *

Fear was an emotion that had become almost an alien concept to Sailor Galaxia.

There had been fear in the past, when she first felt the writhing of Chaos inside her and knew it was only a matter of time before she fell to its strength. After that had been only power, and triumph, for such a long time that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be afraid. Still, the experience was there, hovering beneath the confidence, the shadow of something that once had been and could not be completely denied.

But even the gradual binding of her soul and the slow ebbing away of everything she called herself were nothing compared to what she felt now.

The fear came roaring like an old friend and a cruel enemy all wrapped up in one, rising up from a pit she never knew existed and embracing her with the cold claws of absolute terror. Her sword had shattered. She was defenseless. The girl with the wings of an angel and a star gleaming on her chest was soaring toward her with more determination than Galaxia had ever seen.

It was impossible. She couldn't be defeated. What kind of power did this girl possess, that she had vanquished the combined power of Sailor Galaxia and Chaos? What would such an omnipotent being do to the one who had murdered her loved ones? The terror was such that Galaxia could not even scream.

And yet, something inside her reached out.

Something yearned to embrace this dangerous enemy who had survived even the greatest strength of Chaos. What foolishness was this? How could Galaxia even imagine eagerly awaiting what was surely her final doom?

But was it?

The girl's eyes were soft. The girl's lips were smiling. The girl's arms were outstretched. Like Galaxia, she carried no weapons; hers had also been destroyed...

Like Galaxia, she had had a sword. But even when her life had been threatened, the girl had not used it to attack, only to defend.

A voice had demanded the girl destroy Sailor Galaxia. Yet she had not.

Such weakness was revolting to Chaos.

But not to a Sailor Soldier.

Something inside Galaxia wept for the light.

Was this girl truly an enemy?

Which side was Galaxia on?

The girl with the wings of an angel sparkled like the stars, a light that could never be extinguished. Was that not what Galaxia was seeking, the truest shine of the stars? Inside Galaxia, there had been only darkness, no matter how many shines she collected from others. Now, there was a faint glimmer of light.

Darkness could only beget darkness.

This girl begat only light.

Was light a thing to be afraid of?

Galaxia reached out.

Usagi's hand closed over hers.

And then there was nothing but joy.

* * *

"Fear" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	3. Unspoken Question

Unspoken Question

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day Three (Destiny)

* * *

"Serenity says she and Endymion are destined to be together forever."

There was a moment of silence.

Had Nephrite been a weak man, he would have declared the same about himself and the slim brunette lying curled against his side on the grass.

Had Nephrite been a lesser man, he would have tensed with the strain of hiding his reaction, and thus betrayed his thoughts to his lover.

Had Nephrite been a cruel man, he would have told her the blunt and honest truth before she had a chance to ask him if the same were true for them.

But Nephrite was none of those things, and so he remained silent, his body still relaxed, his gaze still fixed upon the clouds rolling by overhead. Still, the unrest within him was acute. If she were to ask the question that naturally followed such a statement, what would he say?

They were in love. They were supposed to be honest with one another. But how could he tell her what he had discovered in his observatory, that their union was not destined to endure, that it was simply not in the stars for them? Their path together was these precious bright days, and after that, there was only mysterious darkness. Night after night he slaved over the problem, struggling to seek out a way to change what lay before them, but it was always the same.

How, though, could he lie to her? How could he look her in the eye and tell her it would be forever when he knew it would not? Surely the lie would be equally as painful as the truth.

If she forced him to make that choice, he did not know what he would do.

But Lady Jupiter was as strong as he, and so she simply laid her head on his chest, and sighed, and closed her eyes.

* * *

"Unspoken Question" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	4. The Prisoner

The Prisoner

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day Four

("If we are bound to forgive an enemy, we are not bound to trust him." -- Thomas Fuller)

* * *

He wakes up.

He looks at the data panel beside the bed, and sees that it is morning. The panel is his only indicator of time. There are no windows in this room.

He rises, and dresses before pressing the touch pad that turns on the lights. At any time they might be watching, and he retains some sense of modesty.

The one in green brings his breakfast on a tray. A meal fit for a king; in fact, it is likely the king himself consumed the same meal, as did the woman now serving it. The man in this room is provided with all the elegant comforts the other residents of the palace enjoy. He is not, however, permitted to share their table.

The soldier in green stays for a while and talks with him. Her voice is pleasant and friendly, but the careful distance she keeps from him is all too obvious. He knows there are plenty of servants in the palace, but it is always one of the soldiers that brings his meals. Sometimes it is this one, and sometimes the one in orange. He never sees the other three, not in this room.

Correction: the other two. The third soldier he once knew is no longer like the others. Queen of the world... He still laughs when he thinks on this. He never would have guessed that outcome in another thousand years.

Between meals, he is most often alone, passing the time reading or practicing a new skill. He is allowed out, of course, but never into the city, and always in the company of at least two soldiers and a rather large entourage. They try to keep it casual, but it only seems to make it more obvious what he is. A prisoner. He prefers feeling like a prisoner in solitude to looking like one in public.

He is a prisoner of life as much as he is of this room. He never asked to be revived. From what he has been able to find out, his revival seems to have been a mistake. A heart too trusting wished too big and awoke an ancient enemy along with the innocent people of this world. The heart of the queen is truly bigger than any other. She forgave his sins, when he found his way into her kingdom.

But she has not forgotten.

Neither have the two other soldiers he knew. Although he has been pardoned, they will never trust him. It is obvious in their eyes, their words, their postures as they stand to attention around him whenever a true innocent is nearby. They suspect him, despite his heartfelt oaths and devoted gestures. They are constantly preparing for a dagger in their backs.

He tries not to be bitter. He is as warm and friendly with the soldiers and their queen and king as he can be. It is the only possible road toward earning their trust. It is his only chance at being truly forgiven. It is his only hope of someday winning the freedom the rest of this utopia enjoys.

Each night Jadeite falls asleep and dreams of crouching in the filthy darkness of a cold cell, his wrists and ankles in shackles, the same from one lifetime to the next.

* * *

"The Prisoner" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	5. Fair Exchange

Fair Exchange

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day Five (Role Reversal)

* * *

_This is an alternate-universe "What If?" story._

* * *

A lone figure moved through the empty rooms of Galaxy TV. Heels clicked on the floor, and bells jingled as the slim visitor passed through the darkened offices in even, purposeful strides.

At last! Back where we belong! See, I knew you'd miss it.

Shut up. I don't listen to you anymore.

Smooth steps brought the shadowed figure past abandoned cubicles and down dusty aisles. She lowered her eyes, not wanting to look at the places where the others had been, not wanting the memories of that life.

Sailor Tin Nyanko stepped into the elevator. The doors closed, and it began to move. She clenched her hands into fists at her sides in an attempt to stop them from shaking.

She had come here to die.

As the elevator rose, she raised her fists and studied them. One black, one white. One wrist still bearing the bracelet of Sailor Galaxia, and that side of her body the blackness of her sins.

I'm so excited! We're going to see Galaxia-sama again, and she'll fix everything back to normal, isn't that wonderful?

Shut UP! Leave me alone.

That dreadful golden bracelet, the mark of her betrayal...and the only thing that kept her alive. Try as they might, Eternal Sailormoon and her friends could not find a way to save Sailor Tin Nyanko, not completely. They all knew what would happen if the winged princess healed her other half and destroyed the remaining bracelet. Tin Nyanko had no starseed. She had sold it to Galaxia in exchange for her life. She knew that the starseed really was her life, that as long as it existed she would not really die, but she had been afraid, afraid to lose this body.

The former Animamate trembled. What a fool she had been. She had given up on her planet, on her responsibilities as a Sailor Soldier, and indulged her own selfish wish to keep her body. She had imagined that even in the employ of Sailor Galaxia she could fight back, she could work against the golden queen from within. She had not realized that wearing the bracelets meant becoming someone else.

Tin Nyanko's eyes squeezed shut, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

What's this? Why are you crying? We're going home! We'll be healed, and then we can go back and get the starseeds from those rotten Sailor Senshi! Galaxia-sama will be so proud!

That voice... No matter what she did, it would not be silent. Since she overruled the monster she had become and remained with Eternal Sailormoon and her friends, Tin Nyanko had been able to assert control over her entire body despite the evil that still owned half of her. As long as she wore the bracelet, however, she could not be entirely rid of the black cat. She shuddered as she remembered all she had done in the name of Sailor Galaxia's conquest. She had hurt people. She had tricked, and stolen, and destroyed. She had killed.

Sailor Soldiers were supposed to fight together, and she had murdered her own comrades. No good she could do now could erase that evil. The black cat was with her still, always whispering in her head, always tormenting her with thoughts of cruelty and sin, awaiting any chance to reassert itself. Tin Nyanko's once-flawless face and body were covered with bruises and scratches from where her dark side clawed at her when she slept. Her enemy was inescapable, and the only way to get rid of it was to die.

She could have endured the constant struggle, had it not been for Galaxia's retaliation. Eternal Sailormoon was so forgiving. She had promised she and her friends would find a way to help Sailor Tin Nyanko. The past few days she had spent fighting alongside the Sailor Senshi of this planet had almost made her feel like a real soldier again.

But Sailor Galaxia had to have servants.

Tin Nyanko had been the last of the Animamates, and Galaxia would not lower herself to come to the planet personally. She needed a new slave to seek out the true starseeds, and when the golden queen wanted something, nothing could stop her from taking it.

Sailor Tin Nyanko would never forget the look on Eternal Sailormoon's face when she watched Sailor Jupiter take the starseed from that little girl. The former Animamate still shuddered when she remembered the horror of that fight, the reluctant attacks of Jupiter's friends and the futile pleas of their princess. She didn't know what tricks Galaxia had used to get the green-suited soldier to wear the bracelets, but once they were on, Jupiter could not escape their power even if she wanted to. Tin Nyanko knew that from experience.

The Sailor Senshi could not fight one of their own. Sailor Jupiter had retreated that time, but she would be back. It was time for Sailor Tin Nyanko to do the right thing, the best thing. She didn't know if she would succeed, but she had to try. Perhaps her sacrifice would erase some of her sin.

Perhaps Sailor Galaxia would take her back, in exchange for Sailor Jupiter's freedom.

The elevator rumbled to a stop. The doors opened, and Tin Nyanko stepped out, prepared to grovel at the golden queen's feet and profess her undying loyalty if only Galaxia would restore her lost bracelet and give her one more chance.

At the far end of the expanse, the gold-plated soldier was indeed reclining on her throne as she usually did. Between her and Tin Nyanko, however, stood Sailor Jupiter, and her stance and expression were anything but friendly.

Sailor Galaxia knew a winning hand when she had one.

"Ah, the prodigal child at last," the green-suited soldier said, her lips curling into a twisted smile of anticipation as she poised herself to spring. Sailor Tin Nyanko took a step back, but the elevator had vanished. The bracelets on Jupiter's wrists flashed as the bloodlust rose in her eyes.

A short while later there was a brief scream, followed by a forlorn jingle as a single bell dropped to the floor.

* * *

"Fair Exchange" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by Dejana and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	6. Homecoming

Homecoming

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day Six (Atonement)

* * *

There was a brisk wind blowing that night, but it didn't bother Nephrite. He no longer had a body.

It had taken quite a bit of experimentation to get this far, but after a while, he had discovered there was nowhere he could not go. Distance was a problem, however. The insistant tugging at his soul grew ever stronger as he pulled himself further and further away from the piece of stone entombed in his corpse in the Dark Kingdom. By now it was an almost unbearable agony, as if his very essence was being spread across time and space. Amazing that such a small lump of rock could be such a formidable anchor. Such was his punishment for his sins. Despite the pain, and the pulling that made every inch of further movement nearly impossible, he could not give up yet. His mission was far too important.

At long last, he had reached his destination. The house loomed up before him beneath the shadows of the trees, a hulking dark shape in the moonless night. The trees bent and shuddered in the harsh wind, their leaves rustling like a storm, their branches curling around the house forbiddingly. It was all much less welcoming than Nephrite remembered, but somehow, he was not surprised. The property had gone dark, just as he had.

The difficulty he had crossing the lawn and entering the house had nothing to do with his soul's tie to the rock that anchored him. Even without a body the door and walls posed no obstacle; Nephrite passed through the wood and aluminum siding as if it were air, but it was the most difficult thing he had ever done. It was true, the well-known saying. You can't go home again.

The inside of the house was as dark as the outside, and like the outside, it was both familiar and strange. There was the familiar living room with its familiar furniture, and the front hallway, with the kitchen just visible beyond. That in itself was odd. In all this time, nothing had been moved. There was a change, however, tangible even to the intangible spirit, but it was not physical. There was a feeling of lifelessness in the air. This house was no longer a home. It was as dead as the objects inside it.

Nephrite turned, searching the familiar walls with their familiar details. No, not everything was unchanged. The family photographs were missing, the places where they had hung now barely-distinguishable empty squares on the wall where the sunlight had faded the wallpaper around them. He listened hard, a slight unease growing within him. The silence was absolute. It was as if not even the outside world could bring life to this house. Everything was still here, though, except the pictures; surely the house was not abandoned?

Gathering his spiritual energy, Nephrite drifted upward and floated through the ceiling into the secondfloor. A completely empty room greeted him, its walls stark and white and plain, its floor bare wood. He was momentarily disoriented. He didn't remember any unused rooms. Turning toward the closed door that led to the hallway, the familiar layout of the room finally sank in. Yes, he knew this room, perhaps better than any of the others. When he was last here, however, it had been far from empty.

A soul-consuming sadness only a spirit entity can feel welled up within him. Every relic of the life that had once been here was gone. There was nothing, not a scrap of personality left in the room that had once been the most familiar to him.

Tension threatening to shake his control over the magnetic pull from his stone, Nephrite passed through a wall into the next bedroom. Here, life continued, although there was still a sense of emptiness in the atmosphere. There was furniture and clothing and makeup on the vanity, signs of a life in progress. There was a shape beneath the blankets on the bed, and it moved slightly in rhythm with the sound of even breathing.

Nephrite approached cautiously, although there was no reason to fear discovery. The figure in the bed was fast asleep, and even had it not been, he could not be seen by mortal eyes. The spirit-man shook with every ethereal particle as he beheld the woman sleeping there, her silver-streaked auburn hair spread out over the pillows, her clenched fists trembling fitfully on the blankets. Her face, once rosy and full of life, was thin and drawn and pale, and her closed eyes were ringed with dark circles. Had he still had the ability, Nephrite would have cried.

The woman sighed, and moaned, and turned restlessly in the bed as Nephrite approached. Her lips moved.

"Shinsuke..."

Pain filled Nephrite's soul at the sound of a name he had not heard it what seemed like a lifetime. In its wake came a bitter rage, a fury at what destiny had brought him, an anger on behalf of the innocents who had been collateral damage. The injustice of it all was overwhelming. What cruelty, to give him the false hope of reincarnation only to take it all away! As Shinsuke, he had had a normal life, a family that loved him, hopes and dreams, a future...and it had all been wiped away in the blink of an eye by a mistake he had made in a past life.

Even now he remembered that horrible day, although it had been forgotten during his time in the Dark Kingdom. Even the circumstances were unfair. It should've happened in the dead of the night, or even on a stormy day. Not on a beautiful spring afternoon in the bright sunshine.

He'd been on his way home, enjoying the breeze and the warm air that promised of summer...and then there was pain, and darkness as the world around him vanished, and a woman with blazing red hair and an aura of vile strength demanding his allegiance, saying he had already promised it. He was not the human man Shinsuke at all, he was Nephrite, the reincarnation of an ancient warrior who had sold his soul for power, and he had no choice but to become that again. In an instant, he was taken, and everything was taken from him.

And on Earth, a family waited in vain for a son that would never came home.

"Mother..." Nephrite whispered in a voice that could no longer be heard. "I am sorry."

Shinsuke's mother was alone in the bed. Where was his father? Had he left a wretched miserable woman who refused to let go of her vanished son and go on with her life? Or, was it his mother who had grown cold? All of Shinsuke's possessions were gone, and even here in the bedroom, no photograph of him remained. Had his mother tried to forget him, only to be forever tortured by his memory as she slept?

Glancing around at the blank spaces where pictures of Shinsuke had once been, Nephrite had to admit that seemed the more likely explanation.

He turned away from the sleeping woman, grieved and frustrated. Why had he come here? What had he expected to find? What purpose had he expected to serve? He had found a house of misery, and as a powerless spirit, there was nothing he could do to help, nothing at all. What could anyone do? She had lost her son without a trace or an explanation, and no one could restore him, and that was an emptiness nothing could ever fill, and an obstacle nothing could ever overcome. How could he atone for the hole that had been left in this woman's life?

"Shinsuke...no..."

Perhaps there was something he could do after all.

Nephrite returned to the bedside. He bent low over the woman, gathering all his spiritual will into one resolution, one wish, one word.

"Forget."

The woman shuddered, as if a cold wind had passed over her.

Then her grip on the sheets relaxed. Her lips stopped muttering their fitful words. Her eyelids stopped twitching. Her breathing once again grew slow and even, relaxed, restful.

The spectre that haunted her mind was gone.

Nephrite also relaxed. Finally he allowed the ever-present pull to yank him out of the room, out of the house, out of the world, back to the stone that bore his name. There had never been any such person as Shinsuke, only a man who waited to be Nephrite, and now, that man would cause no more pain.

"Goodbye, Mother."

* * *

"Homecoming" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	7. Three

Three

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day Seven (Three)

* * *

They had laughed when he died.

It's not as if any of them cared about each other. This was a cutthroat organization, after all. Literally, on occasion. There was nothing they liked more than to watch each other fail, so they could stand atop the body of the fallen and feel taller.

He had been a fool, anyway. He was dead, and it was his own fault. His schemes had been ludicrous, his plans idiotic. Any of them could have done it better. Any of them would do it better, when it came their turn. They would not be as stupid as he had been. His loss was nothing to them.

Even so, everything seemed a bit off that day. It was odd how the cool, collected men could not seem to perform even the simplest of mundane acts with their usual grace and style. There was one less step on every staircase, one less stride between doorways, one less inch between table and chair, and it cropped up every time they were least expecting it.

It was as if something were missing from their lives. Ridiculous. They cared not for each other, not in the slightest. The rivalry was all they had ever known; if there had been anything else before that, they had all forgotten it.

Yet, there it was. A missing piece, a lost cornerstone. The absence of one of their number. A gap that disrupted a balance they had never known existed, a hole they would all spend immeasurable subconscious effort trying to fill, as space that would not disappear no matter how hard they tried to ignore it.

Where there had been four kings, there were now only three.

* * *

"Three" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	8. Intoxication

Intoxication

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day Eight (Intoxication)

* * *

"Why her?"

It was a question he heard often, usually in more words. It had been asked numerous times in many different ways but always circled around the same theme. They were as different as night and day. Why had they ignored all the more likely suitors and chosen to love one another?

The answer was far more simple than anyone would have thought, although he rarely offered it. It was the fact she was so different that made her so attractive. He was a very serious man, and she was filled with so much joie de vivre that it bubbled out of her relentlessly. He focused always on the practical, and her attention was constantly on all things emotional. Together, they covered both sides of the sphere of life. Could there be any more powerful union?

Even their hair and eyes and choice of clothing illustrated their positions at opposite ends of the spectrum; she was the sunshine to his moonlight. It was as the moon that he was drawn to her. Even at his most uninhibited he could never hope to present a shadow of her glorious presence. Her charisma filled every room, her allure entranced all eyes that fell upon her. For this, his envy of her was equally as strong as his pride that she was his.

To all outsiders, he was the power in the relationship, the solid pillar of unshakeable strength upon which she supported her flighty fancies. Nothing could have been more wrong. When he was hanging on her arm, all stress and strife and worry melted away. All pressures of military and society alike faded from him. Her energy filled him from his head to his toes, and he felt as if he could take on the world. He needed no other assistance, no spirits to free his control, when she was with him.

She was intoxicating.

* * *

"Intoxication" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	9. Shine

Shine

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

March (Villains) Day Nine (Soul)

* * *

Sailor Iron Mouse loved to watch them shine.

Even without Galaxia's orders, she still would have done it. She still would have taken them, for the sheer pleasure of seeing them shine. Starseeds were souls, the very essence of a living person, the life force itself condensed into a tangible object, and they were gorgeous. Their presence represented life after death, happiness after sadness, beauty after ugliness. Whenever she beheld one, the dark shadows of her past seemed to fade, and the feeling was indescribable.

For those precious few moments of brightness she was willing to kill a thousand people, just to see that brilliance again and again. There was no greater joy than seeing them emerge from their flower casings and twirl and sparkle. There was nothing she desired more than to discover a starseed that never lost its light, a crystalline soul that would shine its purity forever.

After all, she no longer had one of her own.

* * *

"Shine" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	10. White

White

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for genre-challenge

April (Angst) Colors (White)

* * *

Aino Minako hated white.

She hated the white of the scattered clouds on this beautiful day, with their lazy casual gliding across the sky, none of them eager to obscure the warm sunshine.

She hated the white of the lilies and roses that decorated the steps outside the building and the aisle inside, their snowy petals a testimony to the purity of the hearts that had selected them.

She hated the white of the invitations and the guestbook pages and the document with its official seal, favors of a celebration millennia in the making, heralded as a blessing by everyone she knew.

Most of all, she hated the white of her dear friend Usagi's wedding dress.

It was a color Minako would never get to wear.

* * *

"White" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	11. Easy Come, Easy Go

Easy Come, Easy Go

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for genre-challenge

April (Angst) Events (Winning a Million Dollars)

* * *

The slip of paper burned in her pocket.

It had been a record-breaking jackpot. There had been only one winner. It was her. She had double, triple, quadruple-checked the numbers just to make sure. It was real. It had really happened. After years of being teased by her friends for throwing away a sliver of every paycheck, she had won a fortune.

She'd decided to wait until the next morning to claim her winnings, just in case it all turned out to be a dream, and had gone to sleep imagining all the wonderful things she might do with the money. Take her best friends on a trip around the world. Buy a beautiful home with all the luxuries she wanted. Donate to her favorite charities. Sponsor some struggling students.

Then she awoke the next morning to find the world had self-destructed.

Now she was running through a rapidly decaying city under attack as her worst nightmares came true, searching for the friends she knew had to be out there somewhere, ready to fight for the survival of humanity, with a lottery ticket in her pocket that was suddenly as worthless as the paper it was printed on. Before long it would crumble to nothing, just like the government that would have paid her a fortune, just like her fantasies and dreams. It was a relic of an old world that would not survive this war.

Still, somehow, she could not bring herself to throw it away.

* * *

"Easy Come, Easy Go" ficlet copyright 2006 by Dejana Talis.  
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! .


	12. In Vino Veritas

In Vino Veritas

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

January (Silver Millennium) Day One (In Vino Veritas)

_

* * *

_

_"Endymion... you'll come visit me, won't you?"_

_"Of course. I won't let you be alone."_

It was the Feast of Venus. Nothing ever changed here; no sun rose, no seasons passed, but Sailor Pluto knew the date as surely as she knew the Starlight Festival was five million three-hundred and eighty-four thousand six hundred and twelve seconds away. She didn't have to look back into the world to know it, not anymore.

Pluto leaned on the Time Key with a sigh and let her eyes lose focus. The duty was so dreadfully boring. She was the pride of her family, a Sailor Soldier, chosen by the Moon Queen herself... but that was little consolation in the face of endless days among the mists.

Even unfocused, her gaze kept sliding in a certain direction. Pluto straightened up and began pacing in front of the great Time Door, forcing her attention away from the frontier. He would be here. He always came.

_"Are you sure you haven't had too much?"_

_Alexandra sat up indignantly, sweeping her dark green hair out of her eyes._

_"When I am a Sailor Soldier, you shan't speak to me that way," she proclaimed. The bottle of Ocean's Red hung precariously from her loose fingers. Endymion smirked as the young Plutian swayed, her cheeks as rosy as the wine._

_"When you are a Sailor Soldier, you shan't drink so much." He reached out and pulled the bottle from her protesting hands. "Only a week since the announcement, and you're already putting on airs."_

_"I seem to recall," slurred Alexandra, "a certain little boy who strutted about as if the very grass would obey his commands."_

_"I grew up," Endymion argued, taking a swig of the wine himself. "More than a certain princess, I daresay." His companion snorted and shoved him playfully in the shoulder, but only succeeded in losing her balance. Endymion barely avoided spilling the bottle as Alexandra tipped into his lap._

_"You're not going to pass out, are you?" Endymion's blinked in his own drunken haze and set the wine aside. Alexandra lay silently on the grass, staring up at the sky sparkling with stars. She had been told there was no sky at the Gate, only the shifting mists of Time. In less than a month, that formless world would be her home._

_"Alex?" Endymion's worried face swam into her field of vision, more blurred than it should have been. He raised a hand to her cheek and wiped away the trickle of tears._

_"I'll miss this," the Plutian whispered. "I'll miss you."_

_"I told you I'll visit."_

_"It won't be the same," Alexandra moaned. She rolled onto her side, turning away from her companion. "Nothing will be the same. I've always enjoyed the Feast of Venus, the dream of someday spending it with a lover..." Her flushed cheeks deepened into a true blush, and she was glad Endymion could not see her face. "That's all over now. This was the last one I'll spend in company."_

_"No. I'll come and share the day with you."_

_Alexandra sat up and turned to face him, suddenly lucid through the haze of wine. "You will?"_

_"Every year," Endymion vowed. "I'll bring a bottle of wine, and we'll drink it together, just like always."_

_"Red wine?" the Plutian pressed. "My favorite?"_

_"It's a promise." The Earth prince's perfect lips curved into the warm smile Alexandra loved so much. It warmed her from her fingers to her toes, even more than the wine. He was her friend, her oldest and dearest friend. He would never leave her._

_"See that you don't break it," she said with a smirk. She reached out and pulled the bottle of Ocean's Red toward her. Endymion shook his head in mock disgust._

_"See that you properly appreciate it," he scolded. "Red wine is meant for lovers; it's not easy to come by on the Feast of Venus."_

Sailor Pluto spun around and leveled the Time Key at waist-height. She raised it in her arms and twirled it to the side, then brought it back, running through each of the maneuvers she'd been taught in turn. The exercise did little to distract her mind. The day was slipping past, the hour her mind marked so easily growing later and later. He would come. Endymion never broke his promises.

It was true time was passing on a greater scale. Endymion was growing older, taking on more responsibilities, meeting new friends and forging new bonds. Although she didn't want to consider it, Pluto knew he would eventually have demands on his time that would keep him from her. Still, she clung to the hope that he would come. They had been friends since childhood, closer than any of the other royals. No one could take her place in his heart.

It was true Endymion's visits were fewer these days, but this was the Feast of Venus. Who else could he possibly spend it with but his most cherished friend? It was true when he visited he talked more and more of Princess Serenity, the Moon Queen's renegade daughter who came to Earth against her mother's orders - blast that girl! - but first and foremost Endymion belonged to Pluto. Things were more difficult now that she was a Sailor Soldier, but in the end, he was sure to be hers. He would come with a bottle of rich red wine, and they would drink and it would be just like old times.

Any moment, he would come. Any moment, he would banish the traitorous unease that was beginning to curl in Pluto's stomach. Before long, she'd be teasing Endymion as he apologized for being so late, and gazing into the eyes that were her only reminder of the evening sky, and tasting the earthy velvet of rosy wine on her tongue. They'd share their game of playing lovers, and Pluto would have a few short hours to pretend it was real.

Any moment...

Pluto sucked in her breath as the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Something had entered her domain. She felt a foreign presence within her borders, a violation of the barriers that protected it. Her gripautomatically tightened on the Time Key, but her heart leapt in excitement.

"Endymion?"

There was no reply. The intruder didn't appear to be moving, from what Pluto's senses told her. Bending the rules that bound the guardian of time, she ventured into the mists, seeking the source of the disturbance. It was in the direction from which Endymion usually arrived, but no human shape disturbed the shifting fog.

The Time Door was barely within sight when she discovered it. A basket had been left just inside the borders of Pluto's realm, small and plain with a bundle nestled inside it. The time guardian strained the reaches of her sensory abilities, but the giver was nowhere to be found. There was no letter with the parcel, no video cube, nothing.

Sailor Pluto knelt beside the basket. With trembling hands, she unwrapped the silk cloth and lifted out the bottle.

Fabreman's Liquid Diamonds. A fine white wine.

* * *

"In Vino Veritas" ficlet copyright 2008 by Dejana Talis. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by Dejana and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal! 


	13. Sparked Interest

Sparked Interest

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

January (Silver Millennium) Day Two (Fireworks)

* * *

Serenity was getting tired. She could barely breathe, and the giggling wasn't helping, but she wasn't ready to give up yet. Her short legs pumped furiously, propelling her around the nursemaid who reached out to catch her and down the steps of the dais.

"I'll get you!" Endymion launched himself after her, breaking through the protective crowd of nobles and attendants that were clustered around the monarchs. Now free of their watchers, the two children darted around the expansive ballroom in fresh glee. The hall became a forest of legs and flowing skirts, which the pair navigated like a multicolored labyrinth.

Endymion was older and faster, and Serenity knew she was doomed to lose. His bubbly laughter was drawing closer and closer, and her lungs were starting to burn. Ducking around an elderly nobleman, she gathered up her skirts and plunged down a staircase under an archway.

The sounds of the party fell away quickly, leaving only her hurried footsteps and the breathless giggles of her pursuer. She ran down flight after flight of stairs, barely keeping ahead as Endymion also began to tire. Finally, Serenity burst out through a doorway into the moonlit courtyard.

Endymion nearly barreled into the young girl as she stopped short, staring out over the flagstones. He bent over and leaned on his knees as they both gasped for breath, grateful for an end to the running.

"Caught you," he panted, thumping Serenity on the back, but her attention had already shifted as it was prone to do.

"What's all that?" she asked, pointing ahead. A large array of crates and barrels had been assembled in the courtyard, piled several layers high. The containers had various labels stamped on their sides, but Serenity could not read the written language of the Golden Kingdom.

"The usual things." Endymion straightened up. "We always send something back whenever anyone from the Moon visits."

"What could Earth give us?" Serenity demanded. Her hands found her hips and she lifted her dimpled chin indignantly. "You don't even have magic!"

"We don't need magic to make something special," Endymion argued crossly.

"Show me."

Endymion made an irritated noise and stomped off toward the piled crates. Visits from the Moon were fun, but their princess could be a bother. When he spotted a certain barrel with an open top, however, he forgot all annoyance in his own excitement. Climbing up on a box of oranges, Endymion reached into the barrel and pulled out a tall, thin package mounted on a stick.

"What's that?"

The boy jumped and nearly fell off the crate. Serenity had followed him to the pile and was curiously eyeing the brightly-colored cylinder in his hand. Endymion grinned, enjoying his moment of superior wisdom.

"You'll see. Stay here." Turning away from her, he ran off toward the edge of the courtyard, where a line of torches was burning. Endymion's heart was pounding in his chest. He had a feeling he wasn't supposed to be doing this... but it had never been expressly forbidden. And he couldn't stand the mockery in Serenity's eyes as she belittled his kingdom.

Endymion had never been allowed near anything that burned, but he had seen how this was done. Stretching up on his toes, he lifted the cylinder in his arms and just barely managed to light the end of the long wick. It immediately began to sizzle and spark, and he hurriedly turned the device right-side up and jammed its support stick into the ground beside the torch.

There was a startled gasp at his elbow. Endymion turned around to discover Serenity standing right beside him again.

"I told you to stay there!" Seizing her hand, Endymion ran as fast as he could toward the center of the courtyard, dragging Serenity along and ignoring her alarmed protests. They were beside the pile of crates again before he let her turn around, and not a moment too soon.

The firework went off. With a burst of blinding light, the slim rocket tore loose from its spike and shot into the air, screaming a high-pitched shriek. Serenity let out a cry of her own, turning away in fear and burying her face in Endymion's shoulder. He nearly stumbled in his surprise, but laid a comforting hand on her back as she trembled against him.

A loud pop rent the air, and Serenity clung to him even more tightly, but Endymion seized her by the shoulders and forcibly turned her around.

"Serenity, look!"

The young princess looked up into a rain of multicolored stars, purple and red and blue sparkling across the night sky. Trails of brilliant gold streamed from the burst firework, scattering glitter in their wake. The fear on her face slowly melted into wonder.

The firework finished with a sizzle of twinkling white sparks, and Endymion grinned as Serenity jumped and clapped her hands in delight. His shoulder was warm where she had huddled against him. He hadn't meant to frighten her, but it was worth it to see her smile.

"You _do_ have magic!" the Lunarian exclaimed breathlessly, her eyes shining. "More, more!"

_"Serenity!"_ The princess' face fell as a familiar voice sounded from the balcony above, sharp and scolding. A firework was many wonderful things, but it was unfortunately hard to miss.

"Endymion!" boomed the voice of the Earth king. "I'm coming down there!"

The two children stared at each other for a moment in guilt-ridden terror. The next moment they were running again, but together.

* * *

"Sparked Interest" ficlet copyright 2008 by Dejana Talis. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by Dejana and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal!


	14. The Becoming

The Becoming

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

January (Silver Millennium) Day Three (Labyrinth)

* * *

The grelnor lay dead, its sickly yellow blood seeping into the ground. Rexiel backed away from the body, gulping air, keeping one eye on the creature to watch for the slightest movement. Her victory was not without price. Red liquid dripped onto the grass from a gash in her arm. Bending down, Rexiel ripped the hem of her dress and tore off a long strip. She bound the wound tightly, spitting on the corpse of her foe as she did so.

Her trainer had been right, although Rexiel vowed never to admit it to him. Her long hair was a hindrance that had nearly cost her her life. The storms would stop spinning before she'd cut it off, though. It was one of the few shreds of femininity she allowed herself to keep.

Rexiel wound her hair into a ponytail and tugged a jeweled bracelet off her wrist. The bauble's cords were elastic, and they bound the hair surprisingly well. Rexiel gave the ponytail a few experimental swishes, and when it did not shift, nodded her approval and bounded deeper into the maze.

If Rexiel's tutor could have seen her now - skirt torn, skin smeared with dirt and sweat and blood - the old woman would surely have cried. Adriene wanted so badly for Rexiel to become a lady. The elder princesses had grown into refined young women under Adriene's tutelage, and Rexiel knew the tutor regarded her as a personal failure. Still, she could not bring herself to feel too sorry for it. For as long as she could remember, Rexiel had regarded her sisters' elegance and grace as nothing but weakness. In the capital, the ruling kingdom of their world, there were female warriors in equal numbers among the men. Even their strongest defender, their planet's legendary powerhouse, was always a woman. Since she was very young, Rexiel knew she would settle for nothing less.

She relished the whisper of the grass beneath her boots as she ran further into the labyrinth. The path that had led Rexiel to the tournament had not been an easy one. She remembered how the officials had laughed at her, standing there in her long dress and royal jewelry. She was not like the hardened warriors in full battle regalia that had stood beside her at the starting point. Neither was she like the other princesses, who hovered in the royal box simpering and fawning over anyone who came near. Rexiel was different, unique among all others of her race, and she intended to prove it. The blush that had burned her cheeks when she insisted on entering the contest was long gone. She was sure they had all expected her to flee the maze at the first sign of danger, but she had already defeated three enemies.

Her footsteps slowed as she approached yet another intersection. This deep in the labyrinth, the challenge was becoming much harder. Early on, the path to safety was clear, to allow the weaker competitors to forfeit without harm. At this late stage, all the passages looked the same.

Rexiel closed her eyes and struggled to calm her labored breathing. She knew she was close to the center, but she had no idea where her opponents might be. Every second counted; she couldn't afford to waste time on dead ends.

She flexed her hands slowly at her sides, matching her breathing to their forced rhythm. Overhead, the storm clouds rolled, dry as yet but rustling the high hedges of the maze with their winds. The leaves surrounding Rexiel shivered and whispered, sighing their secrets into her ears. She forced all other thoughts aside - her tiny kingdom, aching for the glory her victory would bring; her father, bound to oppose her choices publicly but praising her in private; her trainer's rare words of encouragement when she left on her journey - and opened her mind to the wisdom of the trees.

Her eyes popped open and her head whipped around. She found herself facing a pathway, alike to all the others a moment ago but suddenly the only rational choice. Whispering a brief thanks to the rustling leaves, Rexiel barreled down the corridor, her heart once again caught in a feverent pounding.

The hedges were whispering something else. As her connection to the greenery faded away, Rexiel caught a frantic warning of danger. Another enemy lay ahead. She tried to focus on the words of the trees once more, but all the leaves gave her was an impression of terrible speed.

Speed...

Rexiel's hair was bound up, but it was possible she might need every potential edge. She had come too far to risk it all without making every possible preparation. What else had slowed her down in her previous battles?

She glanced down. Her long dress billowed in the wind, clinging to her legs and threatening to catch on the leaves. Adriene would scream if she knew a lady of Rexiel's rank was even considering such a thing... but if her life was at stake, this was no time for modesty.

Rexiel bent down and seized the forest-green fabric in both hands. A harsh ripping cut the air as it tore, parting from her ankles to mid-thigh. She rent it across to the sides as well, shortening the dress into a skirt that barely made it past her hips. For a moment, she shivered, suddenly exposed to the chill wind, but before long a mischievous grin curled her lips. She was about as far from being a princess now as she could ever be.

She ran on, and delighted in the feel of the wind against her legs and the way the ground flew away beneath her without all that cloth holding her back. With a short green skirt in place of her long dress, Rexiel would look more like some of the warrior women she was racing.

It wasn't long before the change in clothing served its purpose. As Rexiel burst into a clearing, a sharp growl hissed into her ear and a blast of wind whisked past her back. She darted to the center of the space and turned around to see a saecius, one of the planet's cruelest creatures, tugging its claws free from the ground she had crossed. Had Rexiel still been encumbered by her flowing skirt, the saecius would certainly have caught her.

Her heart leapt into her throat as the monster launched itself forward, rustling the leaves of the hedges as it passed. Rexiel threw herself to the side, her mind working furiously. Saeci were not strong, but their speed was almost unmatched and their energy nearly boundless. Rexiel had to get close, and quickly, or she would soon be overcome. She leapt back and dodged again as the creature jumped toward her, slashing at her face with its curved talons. Its reach was a terror in itself, its arms nearly as long as it was tall. Rexiel felt a few strands of hair slip past her face as the monster's swipes barely missed her.

There was no time to think; only to act. Rexiel bent low and lunged toward the saecius, surprising it with her sudden offensive. She yanked free the knife that was strapped to her ankle and came up with it firmly in hand, slipping beneath her enemy's long arms and burying the weapon in its chest.

The saecius shrieked and reared up, blood pouring from the wound. Its arms lashed out for Rexiel, but she ducked and rolled, leaping back to her feet at a safe distance. The monster stumbled forward a few steps, and then fell. Rexiel watched it for a moment, but it lay still.

As soon as she was certain it was dead she broke back into a run, resolving to return later to retrieve her knife. The end was very close now, she could almost taste it, and for all she knew one of her opponents was about to beat her to the finish. She strained her weary muscles to their limit and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, navigating the final few turns at top speed. At last, the walls of the labyrinth parted before her, and Rexiel barreled into the open space at the center of the maze.

It was vacant, save for a reclining figure in a white and green robe. The tall woman rose from her chair as Rexiel approached, smiling in amusement at the runner's curious glances around her. She was the first. Rexiel had won.

She stumbled to a halt at the base of the platform, struggling to catch her breath and suddenly ashamed of her ragged appearance. The woman waiting was composed and serene, every hair in place, her robe hanging from her shoulders like the raiment of a goddess. Only the tiara on her forehead betrayed her identity as the most powerful warrior of their world.

Rexiel forced herself to stand straight, although she clutched a stitch in her side. She knew the woman standing before her was fierce in battle; countless stories sang the praises of her strength. Even now, in her advancing age, the lady's well-developed muscles were evident beneath her robe. Yet she looked just as much a lady as Rexiel's pampered elder sisters. For a moment Rexiel felt the twinge of regret. Had she been wrong to come here? Was she not the sort they were seeking after all?

The lady stepped forward. She was smiling. Rexiel heard a sharp curse behind her as one of her opponents made it to the clearing too late, but she did not look away. The woman's face was captivatingly beautiful, but her expression was surprisingly understanding.

A slim rod was pressed into Rexiel's hand. She looked down to see a smooth green stick, topped with the symbol of the planet set in gold. This was the final test. She had raced to win the right to be trained as the next planetary warrior, but in the end, it was the power itself that would choose its wielder. Rexiel had to say the words, to put her trust in the unknown energy and see if it would accept her. For months she had anticipated and feared this moment. After all she had done, there was still a chance it would come to nothing. Oddly, as she looked at the transformation stick, she felt a strange rush of confidence. Somehow, she knew she had no reason to fear. This was what she had been born to do.

Rexiel raised the stick high above her head as the entire world held its breath.

"Jupiter Power! Make Up!"

* * *

"The Becoming" ficlet copyright 2008 by Dejana Talis. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by Dejana and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal!


	15. Reincarnation

Reincarnation

A Sailormoon Ficlet by Dejana Talis

written for sm-monthly

January (Silver Millennium) Day Fourteen (Bury)

* * *

The hashra was stifling. It had been years since she had worn one, but it felt like an entire lifetime. She shifted uncomfortably beneath the acres of white cloth, shuffling her feet on the mat as sweat rolled down her legs. It was nice to have protection from the blowing sand, but it wasn't worth it. The harsh sun and gritty wind could no longer harm her as they could when she lived here. She was a Sailor Soldier now.

She ached to take the hashra off, but she didn't dare. The last thing she wanted was even more attention. The service in the temple had been bad enough, even with the ceremonial robes covering her. The stares of her countrymen burned her like no fire ever could, and the whispers had been harsher than the sand.

_"Isn't that-"_

_"I thought we'd never see her here again."_

_"I didn't know her kind were permitted to mingle with commoners."_

_"What's that she's doing? Why doesn't she just light it with her power?"_

_"Don't know what she's trying to prove, coming here..."_

The voices had stopped when she glared, but they only resumed in greater numbers the minute she turned her head. What should have been a silent ceremony had become a circus of gossip. It was shameful. The priestess had had the decency to apologize to her afterwards for the behavior of the crowd, but even then, the woman wrung her hands as if the soldier might strike her down at any minute.

They all seemed to have forgotten the deceased was her mother.

Even worse were the people who had known her before she was a Sailor Soldier, who spoke to her with fake smiles and tried to pretend nothing had changed.

_"We've missed you; will you be visiting often?"_

_"Of course I wish you could've attended the wedding, but we didn't know where to send the invitation, aha..."_

_"Are things well on the Moon? I hear the food is dreadful."_

_"Do we still call you Fira, or...?"_

She hadn't known how to answer that one. She had been Fira, once, but it had been many years since she had heard that name. She was no longer that free spirit with dreams of entering the service of the temple. Still, she could not bear the thought of her childhood friends addressing her by her title.

Even as they filed out of the temple and took their places beside the long path to the burial site, the questions had continued. She had borne it all with the best smile she could muster, while her ears burned with the whispers of the surrounding crowd, and recited the calming chants she had been taught over and over again in her mind. She almost wished Serenity had not given her leave to attend.

But she had to come. It was her mother, lying on the hover platform inside the ancient temple. They had never been close, not even before 30 million miles separated them. Still, she was her daughter, and there were certain things daughters had to do. Someone had to light the candles of remembrance, and say the prayers that would guide her mother's soul.

The mourners were a long line of white beneath the burning sun, the sand swirling around them as on the distant dunes. Under the hashras, one person was like another. The protective robes hid all but the eyes. It was still not enough to make a Sailor Soldier disappear. Outside the climate-controlled domes, she wore a hashra like all the others, but the eyes were still upon her. Even when the hover platform emerged from the temple doors, and all attention should have been on its occupant, the eyes still burned into the alien among them. She had belonged here, once. Now she was as much a stranger as the distant Moon Queen.

The platform drew closer. As the daughter of the deceased, the woman who had been Fira stood near the end of the line. Soon the crowd would return to the sheltered city, and she would be able to take the dreadful hashra off... but what then? She would no longer have an excuse to wear the ceremonial robes. She was running out of options.

Even bound in ribbon, tendrils of her mother's dark hair blew free in the wind. The platform was close enough now that the soldier could see her mother's face, drawn by age and dried by death. The skin was already darkening beneath the harsh sun. She would lie under the sand a month, at most, before being absorbed by the planet that bore her.

A lump formed in the throat of the girl who was once Fira. It had been so long since they had spoken. Her mother had been determined not to interfere with her daughter's training. Even when Fira made the effort to contact her, feeling lost and alone on a strange world, her mother had chastised her for her weakness and insisted she work harder toward her goals.

Now that she thought on it, her mother had always been proud Fira was chosen as a Sailor Soldier. She had never seen her mother shine as brightly as she had the day Fira wore the uniform for the first time.

The platform was gliding nearer, only a few mourners away. The soldier's eyes blazed with a sudden defiant fire. She raised her head proudly and swept the hashra off, tearing it from her body as if it were trash. The crowd let out a collective gasp, and countless wide eyes were fixed upon her, but for the first time since her arrival she didn't care. She was no longer part of this world. The life she had had here was no more substantial than the shadow cast behind her by the blazing sun.

She stood straight and tall as her mother passed by her for the last time, ignoring the stares on her red and white uniform. She wasn't here for these people from her past, these strangers. She was here for only one person, and that person would have wanted to see her standing proudly as Sailor Mars. She was who she was, and trying to hide it was an insult to her mother's memory.

"Farewell, Mother. I won't disappoint you."

* * *

"Reincarnation" ficlet copyright 2008 by Dejana Talis. Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and its associated characters and canon belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. The text of this creative work was created by Dejana and is her exclusive property. Not to be used without permission. Sailor Moon Says: Don't steal!


End file.
